Choose MageRun
Choose MageRun if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. MageRun launched in 2021.
MageRun vs The Novice: Animal Kingdom
MageRun and The Novice: Animal Kingdom both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. MageRun (2021) is 4 years older than The Novice: Animal Kingdom (2025). MageRun is free; The Novice: Animal Kingdom is paid (2.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Novice: Animal Kingdom
Choose The Novice: Animal Kingdom if you want an Adventure and RPG game with Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Surround Sound. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Novice: Animal Kingdom launched in 2025.
Both MageRun and The Novice: Animal Kingdom sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 MageRun |  The Novice: Animal Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Casual | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 4 reviews | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | AroGames | Louvet Valentin |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- MageRun (2021) is 4 years older than The Novice: Animal Kingdom (2025).
- MageRun is free; The Novice: Animal Kingdom is paid (2.99 USD).
MageRun vs The Novice: Animal Kingdom — FAQ
- Should I play MageRun or The Novice: Animal Kingdom first?
- If you want chronology, MageRun (2021) came out before The Novice: Animal Kingdom (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are MageRun and The Novice: Animal Kingdom similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is MageRun free?
- Yes — MageRun is a free-to-play Steam title. The Novice: Animal Kingdom is paid (2.99 USD).